Nov. 12, 2010

Photo Gallery Featuring New Uniforms

Evansville, Ind. – Expect a battle when the Wayne State University women's basketball team meets the University of Southern Indiana. The last three meetings had been decided by a combined nine points. This time around, the game was close, but the scoreboard indicated a double-digit win for the host Screaming Eagles, 81-71, Friday night in the 2010-11 season opener.

Sophomore Paige Sickmiller (Washington, Mich./Romeo) led the Warriors, who donned their sharp looking black and green uniforms for the first time, with a career-high 12 points, which all came in the first half. Fellow sophomore Tyler Hardy (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) contributed 11 points and grabbed a career-high five rebounds, while junior's Felicia Thomas (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central) and Kiara Smith (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) each added 10 points. Thomas also had six assists and five rebounds

Coming out with a one-point lead to start the second half, the Warriors fell behind 41-39 with 17:30 to go in the contest, and never gained control again as Southern Indiana outscored Wayne State by 11 in the final 20 minutes.

It seemed as if the Screaming Eagles would run away with the game, leading 70-56 with 5:40 remaining, but an 8-0 run from WSU cut the deficit to six.

After trading buckets, WSU found itself still trailing by six, 74-68 with 1:27 left.

Unfortunately, that was the closest the Warriors would get. A three-pointer as the clock shot expired from Southern Indiana's Kristin Raker with 53 seconds to go was the dagger that did the Warriors in.

Raker finished with a game-high 20 points, including 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

USI made a living at the charity stripe the entire game, hitting 27 of 30, while WSU only attempted 10, making seven.

The Warriors came out firing on all cylinders in the opening sequence, taking a 7-0 lead to start; however the Screaming Eagles settled in to cut the margin to one.

After that, both teams exchanged blows, with no team leading by more than seven.

Sickmiller was lights out during the first 20 minutes, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from behind the arc. Her former career-high (11) at Saginaw Valley State (2/4/10), was trumped when she hit a jumper with 5:11 remaining in the first half.

Turnovers plagued both squads, especially the Warriors in the first half as they committed 13 to Southern Indiana's seven. However, WSU cleaned it up the rest of the way, tallying only eight to USI's 11. Each team recorded 19 points off turnovers.

The Warriors controlled the points in the paint category, posting 24 to the Screaming Eagles 14. Sophomore forwards Deanna Crumpton (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) and Chelsea Davis (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem) each had eight points and two rebounds in the post. Freshmen Lauryn Robinson, (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) who got the start, and Alison Bouman (Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian) contributed nicely with six points each in their first collegiate action.

WSU continues its season-opening five-game road trip with a Sunday afternoon contest at Kentucky Wesleyan.